Vibrational machinery



Feb. 27. 1940. E. w. SMITH 2,191,504

VIBRATIONAL MACHINERY I Filed Nov. 25, 1936- 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

M mam/41.190

by, ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 27,

UNITED STATES VIBRATIONAIi-MAOHINERY Edward w, Smith, Melrose, Mam, assignor to Submarine Signal Comp ny, Boston, Mass., a

corporation of Maine Application ni'vember :3, 19:0, Serial No. uaaso -s Claims. 209-365) 4 The present invention relatesto vibrational machinery and more particularly to sifting machinery. It may also be applied to vibration of screens or tables through which material is either separated or graded or, in fact, to any type of machinery where a flat surface is to be vibrated rapidly and with a considerable amplitude. a

In the present invention the vibrations of the screen or material to be shaken is established by means of a resonant system comprising two masses coupled by an elastic element to which vibrational energy is applied either by applying it to one mass or between the two masses.

In the present invention the system may be formed either of a single screen to which is cou pled through an elastic'element a mass of substantial size or to a double screen system 'in which two screens are coupledtogether by a spring coupling element, the vibrations in this case being applied eithervto one of the screens or between the two screens.

In machinery of. the prior art it has been customary to vibrate the screen or table by directly coupling the screen or the table to a motor which oscillates the table and thereby produces the desired vibrations. Sometimes where the oscillatory motion works toforce the table only in one direction, a spring is used to restore it in its normal position. This spring is usually placed between the table and the floor foundation and is compressed when the table is pulled in one direction and released when the table is again free.

In this mechanism the forces that move the table act directly. upon the floor foundation and thereby create considerable vibration of the floor and its foundation. If the building structures are not constructed in such away as to allow for 40 this continued vibration, their safety may be seriously impaired- In addition to this, the vibration of the floor and foundation makes working conditions more difficult and may seriously interfere or hamper operations in other parts of the building. The present invention corrects this difliculty in that it supplies vibrational forces to.

the sifting machinery, or the like, without seriously vibrating the floor supports or transmit-.

ting vibrations to the door itself.

In the preferred form the mechanical energy and mechanical forces are applied between two vibratory elements forming the vibrating system of which the sifting screen is a part. The forces may be applied between two sifting screens or between the sifting screen and a balanced load. As a modification of thisarrangement the force may be applied simultaneously to both .elements of the. vibrating system, but in opposite directions with the result that the resultant force applied to the system is distributed overa considerable amplitude of motion. In this way it is also possible to reduce the vibrations applied to the floor or foundation of the building and therefore to-eifect the results previously described.

As a further feature of the present invention the masses assigned to each vibratory element should be of such a magnitude that the variations occurring in the system due to the loading and unloading of the screens will not substantially affect the resonance or amplitude of the screen itself. The system may also be designed insuch a manner as to produce the desired mo tional amplitude,

The other advantages will appear from the description given below in connection with the drawings showing the application of the inven- 1 tion in which Fig. 1 shows a plan view of the de'-' vice as applied to a sifting screen; Fig. 2 shows a side elevation of the view shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 2a isa detail of an element shown in Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 2b-shows another end view of Figs.

1 and 2showing a further detail; Fig. 3 shows an elevation of a modification of the device of Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 4 shows an elevation of the device shown in'Fig. 3 looking from the side; Fig. 5 shows a further modification of the application of the invention to a single screen; Fig. 6 shows a still further modification of the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2; and Figs. '7 and 8 showstill further modifications of the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

' The embodimentsof Figs. 1 and 2 have two screen frames land 2 at the bottom of which are positioned the screens 3 and 4. The frames I and 2 may have side and'end retaining walls 5, 6, 1 and 8, respectively, and arealso provided with supports 9, III, II and I2 for supporting the wheels l3, l4, l5 and IS. The lower frame 2 may also be provided with plates I1 and id, as shown in Fig. 2, upon which the wheels [3 and I4 are free to move. These plates extend from the side of the lower frame and furnish a free rolling supenough to keep the wheels firmly on the plate.

However, there is provided, as indicated in Fig.

21), means for holding the top frame on the lower one. This comprises a c-shaped member having an upright element 200 and two horizontal .ele-' ments, the element 202 being attached to the lower support 9 by the bolt element 2M extending over bearing upon it through The lowerframe 2 is also. provided with wheels or trucks I9, 20, etc., which rest upon the plates 2| and 22 and upon which the lower trucks roll freely back and forth. Extending from the rear wall I of the top frame is a reinforced bracket 203; and the upper the support 9 andthe roller bearing 204.

bearing down upon it or 23 to which. the spring 34 is attached by'the means indicated more clearly in Fig. 2a.

In the arrangement shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the vibrations are applied through the motor 23 which may be installed on theiiioor It. The

motor-li drives at one end an eccentric 21,

which turns a crank arm n to which is connected a link or lever-'29. The lever 23 carries at one end a pinion gear 30 which engages with two racks 3| and 32, the rack 3| being attached to the top frame and the rack 32 to the lower frame. Thecrank arm as is attached to the lever" by means of a rod 33 engaging in aslot 3c in the lever 29. v

The mechanism elastically coupling the two frames together, which is indicated more clearlyin Fig. 20, comprises the brace 23 to which a core element 38 is attached by means of the bolt 36 and nut 31. This core element is threaded as indicated at 33 to receive the spring 39 which is threaded into it. The other end of the spring 39 is likewise attached to the frame 3. A similar core I. in this case is bolted to the back board ll of the lower frame by means of the bolt 42 and nut 43. The spring 39 similarly threads onto the core in so that outside of the driving means the only coupling element between the upper and lower screen is provided by means of the spring 39. The system in this manner is formed as a vibratory system and has affrequency of resonance determined by the following formula:'

where}! equals the resonant frequency in cycles per second, It the restoring force or. elasticity and m the effective mass. The effective mass of the system just described is equal to the product of the masses divided by their sum. In the present case where a helical spring is used, the strength of the spring required to give resonance to thesystem at some particular frequency may be determined by the determination oi" a lathe following equation:

s a m m ml+ma orwhere p. is defined as the strength vof the spring required expressed in 'dynes per centimeter of deflection, .and mi and ma are the weights of the bodies in grams and I is the number of vibrations persecond. The total length of the spring can thus be determined by knowing the strengthrequired and the maximum stroke which is the may be u ed in the design. of the present vibratory system by so balancingthe masses of each frame as to provide the desired amplitude or amplitude ratio. Removable masses maybe provided which {can be added to one frame or the other to change the amplitude of motion as may be desired for the purpose for which the device is used. .In the-mechanism shown in Figs. 8 and 4 a method is shown for vibrating a container or.

was

- screen vertically, following the same principles as L itself. The frame It is driven by means of the motor 84 through the eccentric 85 and the link 989.- the third link 83 having the other end adentially at the ends of -the frames. This is acshown in the other figures. .In this particular case the'mechanicai force is applied by the motor ll driving an eccentric 46 which is linked by the link 46 to the screen or container 41 by the pivot 6 It. The motor 44 is supported on a plate 44' attached to the spring 49' through the threaded collar I into which the-spring 49' is screwed.- Similarly, the spring 48 supports at its top end the container 41. The other ends of thesprings 49 and 49' are threaded into a central collar II formed as a part of the plate 50 or fastened to it in any suitable manner. U

The spring." is ilxed'rigidly in position by means ofthe frame ii to which the spring is threaded. The plate 50 may be supported by upright supports 52, 52 in whichspring elements 53 may be placed to take up whateverunbalancing may occur in the system. I-Iowever,it is'to be notedthat when the system is properly balanced, the external supports will not be subject to vibration. The link 48 driven by the motor ll alternately acts to draw the motor and screen together and then to repel them. This sets up vibrations or oscillations in the system to which the spring element i'sproportioned to establish a resonant system so that there is a' complete transfer of energy to the vibrating mass, and no or very little vibration or motion is given to the external supports. At the resonant frequency of the system it is also possible to obtain the greatest amplitude of motion with the least drivingforce.

In Fig. 5 a system in whicha single frame or screen is employed is shown. Here the'frame/iic or screen It is supported as indicated for the lower screen in Fig. -2. The wheels 55 supported t ough the supporting legs 86 are free to move on thebase 51 mountedon the floor I8. Coupled to the frame or screen 54 is the mass 59 through 40' the link and the elastic coupling .Bl in an arrangement similar to that shown in Fig.-2a. The mass 69 is free to move back and forth on the base '62, the mass itself being-supported by the wheels 33 hung from the lower part of the mass arms 86 and O'L The links 86 and 81 are linked together with a third link 68 at acommon center iustably fixed by means of the lock bolt and nut It in an arcuate slot 'II in the supporting frame I! attached to the base 62. Adjusting the posi-- tion of the end of the link 68 in the arcuate slot ll controls the amplitude of motion of the frame It. In Fig. 5 the mass '59 may be replaced by any 'other'vibrating element as, for instance, another frame It or some container or the like. The mass 59 may also be adjustable, if desired; to adjust for resonance and maximum vibration of the system.

InFig.6asystemsimilartothatshownin Figs. 1 and 2 is indicated. Here, however, the frames or screens [4 and It have the driving mechanism mounted to apply the forces diifer-.

complishedby mounting the motor "at the end of the supporting bracket I attached to the top frame 18 andcoupling the motor drive directly to the lowerframe' by means of the eccentric I3 and the crank shaft It which is attached to the end 33 of the lower frame 14. An elastic coupling in the form of a helical spring 8| may. be placed between the supporting frame 11 and the lower screen it as indicated in the ileum. The two frames or screens 14 and ll-rest freely 15 which the motor itself is mounted. The lever- 81 oscillates back and forth carrying the screens or frames 9| and 92 which have projecting armsor shafts 93 and 94, respectively, working in slots 95 and 96 in the arm 81. In the modification shown in this figure a similar coupling means is used as indicated in the other figures, the difference in .this case being in the driving system by which the point of pivot 88 of the arm 81 is fixed.

In Fig. 8 a still further modification of the arrangement shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is shown. Here, the driving arrangement is the same as that indicated in Fig. 5 with the motor 91 driving the crank 98 which is linked to the arms 99 and I00. The arm 89 drives the entire system comprising the frames'I M and I02 joined together by means of the support I03 and the spring coupling element I04. In this case the link 99 links to the support I03 and imparts its vibration to the system as a whole. The link I00 has its end I05 adjustable in the arcuate slot I06 of the frame I01 resting on the base I08.

In all of the embodiments shown in the present I application the vibratory system is formed of masses coupled together by some elastic coupling element of relatively low mass. The masses-may themselves be the screensand the load which they carry or they may be composed of a single screen coupled to a compensating mass by the elastic element. The mechanical energy for fur nishing the motion may be supplied either between the vibratory masses or to one of the masses of the system. 'By providing two equal masses. elastically coupled together, the amplitude of the masses may be made the same. If screens or containers of different masses are elastically coupled together, then the heavier mass will have the smaller amplitude of motion.

, Preferably the vibratory systems are run at resonance as this frequency produces the greatest possible amplitude of motion with a minimum of power consumption.

' Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. A machine of the type described comprising two screens, means positioning said screens one above the other and allowing free motionin approximately a horizontal direction, means elastically coupling said screens together, a motor having an eccentric drive, a lever, means coupling said lever to said drive to provide an oscillation thereof, a gear forming the fulcrum of the lever and a pairof racks engaging said gear at points apart on said gear,'means mounting said racks respectively opposite one another on said screens.

2. A machine of the type described comprising a pair of screens positioned one over the other, the lower screen having a plurality of projecting supports projecting from the sides thereof, the upper screen having a plurality of rollers supporting it and positioned, to move freely on said supports. of the lower screen, a spring coupling means coupling the ends of the screens together, said coupling means comprising a rigid support extending from the end of one screen to a position in line with the other screen and a helical spring fastened at one side tosaid supporting element and at the other side to means supported on the otherscreen.

3. A machine of the type described comprising a pair of screens positioned one over the other,

extending from the end of one screen to a position in line with the other screen and a helical spring fastened at one side to said supporting element and at the other side to means supported on the otherscreen, a pair of racks positioned one on each screen frame opposite each other, a gear engaging said racks at opposite sides of the gear,

a lever having the same. fulcrum as said gear and means for oscillating said lever to impart mechanical vibrations in opposite directions to said screen.

4. A machine of'the type described compris-' ing a pair of screens positioned one over the other,

the lower screen having a plurality of projecting supports projecting from the sides thereof, the upper screen having a plurality of rollers supporting it and positioned to move freely on said supports of the lower screen, a spring-coupling means coupling the ends of the screens together, said coupling means comprising a rigid support extending from the end of one screen to a position in line with the other screen and a helical spring fastened at one side to said supporting element and at the other side to means supported on the other screen, a pair of racks positioned one on each screen frame opposite each other, a gear engaging said racks at opposite sides of the gear, a lever having the same fulcrum as said'gear and means for oscillating said lever tov impart mechanical vibrations in opposite directions to said screen, the elasticity of said spring and the masses of said screen being proportioned that for the frequency at which said oscillations of the motor occur the system will have a mechanical resonance.

5. A machine of the type described comprising a base, a pair of superposed screens mounted above said base, brackets onthe lower-ofsaid screens-bearing means at the lower end of said brackets engaging the base, said bearing means being constructed and arranged to support said lower screen on said base in such a manner as to permit horizontal movement of said screen relative to said base, bearing means on the upper of said screens engaging the upper ends of said brackets and thereby supporting said. upperscreen. on said lower screen, said last named bearlations of said screens and means acting between said screens for producing oscillations of said screens, said meansadapted to produce said oscillations at the resonant frequency established by the masses and elasticity of the system.

. EDWARD W. SMITH. 

